Time Lost is Time Wasted
by Austyn
Summary: This is my Jeyton fic. Peyton is an accomplished actress and Artist. Her first art show, will she find true love? UD 4.20
1. Chapter One A Day In New York

**Chapter One: A Day In New York**

The posters were placed. The flyers sent out. Commercials were aired. Billboards were put up. The information was out. The date was set. The place was arranged. Now all she had to do was wait. Waiting, it was the hard part. Everything was all set up for that weekend, yet it still didn't feel right. She kept rearranging things, when she knew good and well they were best where they were. She also knew good and well her agent moved things back after she was done. Why she bothered? She didn't quite know, nerves probably. She was nervous about her art show. What if people didn't like the new stuff, her new collection. She'd been doing it for years. Books about her and her work, life movies, and more. She was famous in the art world, actress/artist. This was her first art show after her latest movie. It was Friday, the people would come Saturday night. Browse, and then the pieces would be auctioned to the highest bidder, some of the proceeds donated to charity. She had the dream life, well on the outside. Acting and her art is what therapy told her to do.

Therapy. The word that frightened most, yet welcomed her. She had done coke, just to try it. Who hasn't tried a line of coke, or a drag on a cigarette, a puff on a joint, a shot of whisky, everyone's curious. Some can handle it and say no, but others, well they're not so lucky. They become rapidly addicted, craving more. They feel they must feed the addiction, but it only grows hungrier. That is how she was, she told her friends she stopped, and she thought she had, yet she kept coming back for it. Therapy was her last hope once the man of her dreams found out what she was doing behind her back. True he was angry, but he was also concerned.

Now in her mid twenties, after going to night school and taking classes when she had time, she was doing better, from daily therapy to now once a month. Her addiction to her drug of choice was slowly erased from mind and thought. Whenever she felt that urge, that historic addiction coming up, she would be ready to beat it down with art. Take all her fury out in it, paint it away, draw it away, anything.

School was done, therapy almost over, her career at its peak, she still felt him missing, her perfect man. He helped her, but ultimately he needed to help himself, it wasn't easy. He had to care for his baby, protect her from all harm, harm being her mother. He was afraid. His baby's mother, a cokeaholic as was becoming she. He didn't want to go down that road again. He couldn't. At the end was tears and heartbreak. He felt to just end it, keep in touch and wish her the best. However, the best for her was him.

She couldn't dare stay in that room one more minute, her agent yelling at her for moving things, she had to get out, breathe. So in the middle of her agent's rampage she walked out. She had always been the moody type, not taking crap from nobody. That wasn't a shocker that she just walked out, the agent was used to dealing with this, like a small child. It was hard, but that's what she went to school for. She had known her client from school, they had become great friends, and then, who really knows, one succeeded, while the other was given a favor to keep her in a job, to pay the bills and put food on the table and clothes on her back. It was good, but she could do better, what she wanted.

Peyton walked around New York City. After storming out on her agent, what else could she do. Her show was tomorrow and she was nervous. If it were years ago, she'd be doing a line of coke right now. She walked right into a pole, not watching where she was going. There was a poster on it.

_"Haley James, singer extraordinaire, _

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Mormer Hall, six in the evening

Be there if you dare.

New and Improved

Promoting her new album 'Procrastination is for the Lonely'"

Peyton read the sign, she had to get to the show, Mormer hall was just a few blocks away, she could easily get a ticket being Peyton Sawyer.

That's just what she did. She was going to the show…


	2. Chapter Two Art Show

Okay, um, this is chapter two, duh. Um, I really like this, its got a slow beginning obviously, but trust me it will get better. THat's my style, for the most part, so read and review and tell me what you think.**

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**Chapter Two- Art Show**

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Peyton walked around after her peaceful night at Haley's concert mingling with the folk at her art show. She could divide them like a math problem. Snobs, people looking for work for their homes. Museum directors, looking for a new exhibit to make them money. And then the lowlifes, people who looked for the sport but would never buy anything because they had no money or use for such things as artwork. Those would also be the people who stocked up on the cheese cubes. She wasn't really supposed to mingle with them, but she couldn't help but notice a familiar brunette and had to go over.

"B. Davis?" she tapped her on the shoulder.

"P. Sawyer! I thought they locked you up here."

"No, I run this, what are you doing here?"

"Abigail, Abby, she just loves your work. Me and Lucas adopted her. She's loved your work her whole life. I thought I'd take her as a birthday present to see some things up close instead of in her old ratty books."

"Really, how old is Abby?"

"Eight, beautiful girl."

"I bet."

"Yea, she's just browsing, she knows she can't get anything, not after what else she got for her birthday. We teach our children just because we have the money for this stuff does not mean we need it, it's hard Peyt."

"I know, I know."

"Hey, do you think you could just casually say hi to Abby, she would love it, she's like the only little person here. Blonde, blue eyes, white shirt, blue jeans."

"Gotcha, anything for my best friend, maybe after this thing we could hook up."

"Yea, I want to know what's happening in your life. Nobody's heard from you in a while. We were all worried and then out of nowhere, on T.V., billboards, posters, everything, your art show. Abby showed us and begged us."

"Wow, nice, and I want to know what's happening in your life and all the gossip."

"Right, you missed a lot, you didn't even finish high school with us."

"Yea, I know."

"Here comes Abby, Abby! Sweetie, over here," Brooke waved to the girl, and she walked over.

"Yes mommy?"

"Look who I found."

"Peyton Sawyer!"

"In the flesh."

"Wow, Ohmygawd. I never thought I'd meet you, I'm Abby."

"I know, by bestest friend told me."

"Who?"

"B. Davis."

"Who?"

"Your mother," Peyton shook her head.

"My mother is your best friend?"

"Yup, we go way back, high school, cheerleaders together."

"Wow, she never told me."

"And she never told me about you, we're even."

"Yea."

"I hear you like my work."

"No, I love it."

"I also hear it's your birthday."

"Yes, I'm eight."

"Wow. Big Eight."

"Yes," she smiled.

"Why don't you pick something you want on me."

"You mean it?"

"Yes, anything for my best friend's daughter."

"Thanks so much." Peyton watched her. It was a sunny day in the midst of her rainy life. She did something good. It slowly becomes easier to do good than bad, each time its easier, keep practicing.


	3. Chapter Three Better Days

Chapter Three- Better Days

Peyton got out of her car. She needed a break from the big city for a while. She whiffed the North Carolina air, it was nothing like city air, that's for sure. She walked up to her old house where her dad currently resided, carrying a leather bag. She knocked on the door. Soon a man answered.

"Daddy!" she threw her arms around him.

"Peyton! I haven't seen you in ages, how are you."

"I'm getting better, I have a present for you in my car."

"Oh, you shouldn't have."

"Yes, I did, you stuck by me always."

"It's my job."

"Even if it wasn't, you would have."

"Good point."

"It's kind of big if you want to go get it its in the back seat."

"Sure, go put your bag away."

"Okay." Larry Sawyer walked past his blonde daughter to her car as she walked inside the house. She walked through the hallway to her room, the coolest room in the whole house. It was just the way she left it. Her dad was never big on redecorating.

She sat down on her bed and looked upon her walls at all her old high school drawings that would be worth quite a lot of money now, but her dad didn't sell them and she couldn't understand why. They would pay the rent and he could retire and stay at home. She took out some of her more recent works and put them upon the walls, things she could never sell at an auction, they weren't good enough, but plenty good to hang on her wall.

She walked around the town. It was the same. Did anything in Tree Hill change. Probably not. She walked into Karen's Café. To her surprise a young man was working, he had warm chocolate hair and was well built. He looked at her when she walked in, she could recognize that face anywhere. She had loved him since she first laid eyes on him. He was so sweet and caring and sensitive. He was also the one who sent her away because she needed help she couldn't get in Tree Hill. She knew that as well as he did, but she didn't want to leave. She couldn't, she needed him. In her time of need he pushed her away. She resented him for that, but now, she wasn't high all the time and could think things clearly, he had did that looking out what's best for her. She owed her life to him. He saved her. She smiled at him.

"Hey."

He looked into her eyes. She got scared, maybe he was seeing if she was on something.

"I'm past that. I went to New York, I got help, I haven't done that in years."

He was still looking at her, maybe he didn't believe her.

"I swear, I got my life in order. No more coke, no more, I'm not that person."

He smiled, maybe he did believe her. She hoped he did.

"That's good."

She smiled, he did believe her, or it seemed to be.

"So how have you been?"

"Ah, there've been better days."

"Me too."

He smiled at her. His smile always melted her heart. He was indeed the man of her dreams.

"So what have you been up to on your better days?"

"Ah, painting mostly."

"I knew you'd become an artist, you always had it in you."

"And what about you?"

"I work here mostly, sometimes at TRIC."

"That place is still open?"

"Surprisingly."

Her prodigy. Her underage club, it was still in circulation. All the hours she spent there, the stress, where she started her bad habit that made him push her away. The ghosts probably still hung out there.

"I bet it's had better days."

"Yea, who's running it now?"

She really didn't want to know, some punky teenage girl with braces and glasses with black fingernails hiring local bumpkins to play.

"I believe the name's Xenoi."

"Xenoi?"

"Yea, it means strange or foreign, she's told me."

"In what language?"

"Greek, according to her."

"Okay, if she says so, what's she like."

"Her name."

Peyton laughed. The first time in years, an actual laugh. He could always do that. She took a seat on the counter. He got a look on his face that people eat on there, but she just smiled and he let her go.

"Seriously."

"Well, she's sixteen, she has jet black hair, except for vibrant green highlights, or chunks of hair, maybe her hair is vibrant green with black highlights. I don't know. She's a bit off the end. She miscalculates and doesn't care, hires two groups to play at the same time. Lets underage kids drink, not that we didn't, but she doesn't care. She wears black shirts, with some message on them, never the same shirt twice. Like last night her shirt said 'You die only once, however your spirit lives forever, keep it healthy.' Whatever that means. The other day it said 'You eat cows, pigs and chickens, what happens when they come and eat you.' I think she's a bit loopy."

"Do you think I- never mind."

She hesitated, she wanted to put that Xenoi in her place. She wanted just one night as manager again. It would be the best night at TRIC since her last night there.

"What do you want to do."

"Manage for just one night."

"Ask Karen, she loves you, I never told her why you left, she doesn't know. I'm sure she would, she feels the same about this Xenoi as I do, but she's the only one who will do it for more than one night."

"I will."

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	4. Chapter Four The Face Of Your Past

**Chapter Four- The Face Of Your Past**

Peyton found Karen at her house. It was such a shock to her to see Peyton.

"Peyton, is that you?" Karen asked as Peyton approached.

"Yea, it is, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead, anything," Karen smiled, she was so easy to talk to.

"I wanted to know if I could host a night at TRIC," she smiled.

"How about tomorrow night, you and Xenoi can work together and make it the best night in a long time. I usually don't go. That girl is a piece of work, don't take direction from nobody. You could teach her a few things, you always was a good girl at heart, maybe you could show her, she's probably there now."

"Thanks Karen," Peyton went up and hugged her. In a small town like Tree Hill, you had to get used to hugs and hugging people.

"No, thank you, you always was the best at that job, go show her," Karen smiled.

Peyton walked down the main street of Tree Hill until she reached TRIC. She tried the door, locked, that little monster, luckily she still had her key, if they didn't change the locks. She tried it, it worked, who in Tree Hill actually changed the locks on the doors, well besides Deb, but she's crazy, so she doesn't count.

Peyton walked in, it was dark and musty, a lot of smoke in the air, must be from a previous night and she didn't air out the place. Peyton was startled when she heard a voice behind her and turned around.

"Who are you and how did you get in here, I locked all the doors, are you like some kind of ghost or a robber, cause there's nothing here, I'm only preparing for tonight, I ain't done nothing wrong."

That girl was just how Jake and Karen was saying, weak, but strong on defense, can't get past her.

"Tell me something, miss know it all, who was the creator of this underage club, who came up with the idea, the name, who put their hard work into building this place up?"

"That easy, Karen Roe, idiot, give me something harder."

"I will, when you get that question right."

"I told you, Karen did."

"And I told you that you're wrong."

"Impossible, I'm never wrong."

"You want a little hint."

"For what?"

"The answer to the question."

"I told you, it's Karen."

"And you're wrong, here's your hint, she's standing right in front of your face."

"I've never seen you before in my life, get out or I'll call the cops."

"Want the answer."

"I'm calling the cops."

"I wouldn't, cause I'm Peyton Sawyer."

"No you're not, she left Tree Hill with no intention of coming back. True, you're a legend, but you lost you're chance."

"You know something, I'm here because I want to be here. I left, because I needed to go to school. A nice art school in New York. They don't have art schools here. You know something else, I'm here now, what are you gonna do about it, I'm stronger than you, and smarter than you, and trust me, I know more about music and being a DJ than you ever can or will be."

"You think I'm scared of you? I'm not, not in the least bit."

"Sure, you say that now, but you know what, I'm hosting tomorrow night, by myself, we'll see who gets a better turnout."

"You're on."

"Great, now I need to go book real bands."

"I do book real bands."

"I'm not the one in need of convincing."

"What?" she said as Peyton left. What Peyton really needed to do was put flyers up that she would be hosting and not the little brat Xenoi, she obviously didn't have a good turnout, nightly.

Peyton needed to book some bands. She knew some great ones she was on great terms with that would come. And Haley, she had just seen her. Maybe she would. She'd give her a call.

"Hello?"

"Hales!"

"Peyton?"

"Yes, I need a really, really, really, really, big favor from you."

"Tell me."

"Would you be really, really, really, really nice and come play at TRIC tomorrow night, I'm hosting for the first time in years and I bet this little brat who works there now that I'd get a better turnout than she would, please, please, please, please."

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yes, see you tomorrow night, around nine?"

"Yea, that's great, thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"You're a lifesaver."

"I know, see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye." One down, about two or three more to go. Chris, she would go to Chris, given he always had hated her, but the opportunity to see Haley, he'd probably do it. She tried.

"Hello?"

"Chris, I need a favor."

"Who is this?"

"Peyton, manager of TRIC, I need you to sing."

"No way."

"Please, Haley's gonna be there."

"Haley James?"

"Yes, Haley James."

"I'm totally in."

"Great, around nine, be there."

Peyton hung up, that's two major live acts, what about Gavin DeGraw. She knew him to, and he just put out a new album, which was all the rage. She tried him, and miraculously he said yes. Now as a back-up type thing, or if there's more time, a local group to play, always draws in more people. She just thought of something and went to get it.

"Please Jake."

"No."

"Do it for me."

He thought about it, he'd do anything for her, no matter how traumatic or heart breaking it was to him, he'd do it for her. "Fine."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'll do it."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, can I like hug you?"

"You have to ask now?"

"Good point," she went around the counter of the café and gave him a big hug.

She turned to leave, "I'll see you tomorrow night around nine, if not sooner," she smiled and walked out. She had convinced Jake to play at TRIC. She still wanted a younger local group, but she also needed a bartender and a DJ. She knew who she wanted already, though. Her good old buddies Nathan and Tim to be bartenders. Nathan sorta there after Tim gets too drunk and passes out. And Mouth to be DJ. All her old friends would totally be a part of it. Brooke would help her decorate and hand out flyers, if she asked and Lucas would be the doorman, checking I.D.s for alcohol bands. She had a lot to do.

She called Brooke of course. "Hey Brooke."

"Best friend?"

"Yes it is."

"I haven't seen you since you're little art thingy."

"I know and I need your help, and Luke too."

"Sure, what do you need goldilocks?"

"Well I made a bet with this little brat person who is supposedly the manager of TRIC, well tomorrow night is my night to prove I'm better than her and I totally need you're help to pull this off."

"You're in Tree Hill! OMG, yeay, I will so help you, I hate that little Xenoi."

"You know her?"

"Know her, everyone knows her."

"That bad?"

"She can throw a good party, but yea, we've got some work to do, meet me at the café."

"Can do."

And she did. Brooke and Peyton met at the café.

"So tell me goldilocks what did you do so far?"

"Well I booked Haley, Chris, Gavin DeGraw and Jake to play."

"No way, how?"

"Which one?"

"All of them, none of us have heard from Haley, how could you manage to get Chris back here, and Gavin DeGraw, he just released a new CD and Jake won't play for nobody. Trust me, Xenoi has tried many a time to get Jake to play at TRIC."

"Haley, I ran into her in New York, she was on tour and I met up with her after, I called her today and said yes. Chris, well, he was the easiest, I told him Haley was coming, and boom, he said yes. Gavin, I got connections there, all in a matter of knowing people and Jake, I think he still has a thing for me," she smiled.

"You are so gonna blow Xenoi out of the club."

"I got Nathan and Tim to bartender, because, uh, they were always good at it in our parties when we weren't even supposed to drink."

"Nice going, they make some mighty fine drinks."

"And Mouth to DJ."

"Xenoi knew about him, one of the greats, couldn't score him either, she'll be so mad at you."

"Good."

"I knew if you spent enough time with me you'd turn out okay."

"Yes, now we need to do flyers and get a local band and decorate, but decorating tomorrow since she has it tonight."

"Okay, let's get started."


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